Letters to the editor

Thursday, January 24, 2013 - 12:01 am

Life is too precious not to question our wars

Americans enter 2013 with hope for positive change and a feeling of trepidation. People hope for economic improvement and the end to our war in Afghanistan, but many still don’t understand how war harms our economy.

Holiday suggestions for ways to help our fellow man did not include peace activism. It is much easier to do “nice” volunteerism than what is truly good. It is easier to treat symptoms than actively confront the disease of unnecessary war.

We talk about how belligerent other people are as we send expeditionary forces all over the world. We sing songs about peace at the holidays after supporting war all year. War supporters comfort each other with “Peace on Earth” Christmas cards to assure themselves that they are not war mongers.

We debate how much to cut food stamps while paying $160 million dollars each for fighter jets that are generations ahead of possible adversaries. We use our military superiority carelessly. We justify mass murder by believing we have a superior culture, realization of God and that the resources of other countries are in our “national interest.”

We justify carnage with “good intentions” and kill children in Pakistan with drone strikes while simultaneously trying to vaccinate them against polio. We are told it is unpatriotic to question the morality of war and everyone should “support the troops” who are killing and dying “for our freedom.”

Self-proclaimed “pro-life” activists don’t seem concerned about the innocent people we kill in war. Americans don’t ask how illiterate Afghans who have never left their country are a danger to our freedom.

War is represented as synonymous with freedom while unnecessary wars enslave us with debt and our people suffer for lack of social services. Much of the land that is now America was acquired from European countries that had to sell it to pay for their wars. War breeds more war. Attacking other countries ignites civil war instead of bringing peace. We complain about Syria’s use of cluster bombs after using record amounts of them against civilian populations.

Our use of radioactive munitions (D.U.) poisons the land and will kill and maim innocents long after our wars are forgotten.

Peace is patriotic and life is too precious not to question our wars.

Tim Tiernon

What happens to defenseless victims

I have just read Christian Sheckler’s article about Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry urging for tougher gun laws, and that he is supported in that position by his Police Chief Rusty York.

Apparently both Mayor Henry and Chief York are under the impression that the crooks are purchasing the guns they are using at the area gun shows, those shows that are held periodically at the coliseum and at the Allen County Fairgrounds.

Having, in the past, attended each of these shows, I have seen signs posted that stated that no private selling or trading was permitted on the premises.

It did not appear as if the parking areas were being patrolled to ensure that any private selling or trading was going on there. At each of these shows, off-duty police or sheriff’s deputies were hired as security personnel and to tag any weapons being brought in, and to inspect the sales receipt for any weapons being taken from the building.

I also, on the local section of the Tuesday evening News-Sentinel, read the three accounts of armed robbery or attempted assault as well as the Fort Wayne Police Department request for the public’s help in identifying a robber, whose image was captured on the security video of the station that he robbed.

I would like to ask both Mayor Henry and Police Chief York what the response time would be if they received a 911 call from a homeowner, for example, living on the south side of Fort Wayne, whose home was being broken into by unknown persons.

If that homeowner does not own and know how to use a weapon, whether handgun or rifle or shotgun, and is thus defenseless, when the police arrive, what will they find? Will the homeowner and family still be living, or will it be report-writing time?

I would also ask Mayor Henry if he provides for his own safety or if he relies upon law enforcement personnel to protect him and his family.

It continues to amaze me as to the number of people, from President Obama on down, who rely upon armed security to protect them, when they could provide for themselves by owning a weapon and being skilled in its use.

Ronald G. Ross,1SG US Army (ret)

Fewer guns, more debt

I was deeply impressed by President Obama’s touching, and more importantly, telling, use of little children as props for his gun recommendation press conference. It is nice to know he deeply cares about the welfare and future of the children of America. I wonder if he took the time to explain to those four children why he is burdening them with unpayable debt.